Process of separating the strands of woven fabric.



E. R. TILLINGHAST. PROCESS OF SEPARATING THE STRANDS 0F WOVEN FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9. 1912.

Patented June 16, i914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 .f

E. R. TILLINGHAST. 4PROCESS OP SEPARATING THE STRANDS 0F WOVEN FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9. 1912.

Patented June 16,1914.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELBERT R. TIILING'HAST, OF UPPER MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF SEPARATING THE STRANDS OF WOVEN FABRIC.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ELBERT R. TILLING- i-iAs'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Upper Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful 'Improve ments in Processes of Separating the Strands of Woven Fabric, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a process of shreddingor disintegrating fabric, such for example as carpet, for forming waste suitable for use in car journal boxes and analogous devices.

Attempts have been made heretofore to ravel carpet strips along the edges of such strips, for the purpose of making rugs in a well known manner. Attempts have also been made to fray narrow strips or ribbons of fabric by pulling strands thereof apart.

As the raveling or fraying has usually been conducted heretofore the resulting strands from the weft, and frequently also those from the warp, have been cut or broken into irregular lengths and many of these lengths have been objectionably short for many purposes for which they have been intended.

It is the object of the present process therefore to so handle the fabric that the warp and weft threads thereof may be cut or otherwise divided into relatively determined lengths, when desired, while the weft is pulled away therefrom with a minimum amount of breakage, practically all of the strands obtained being of considerable length.

If it be desired to unravel a section of carpet, the ngers or some pointed instrument or device could be used; and one or more strands of the weft, for example, might be grasped by the hand and pulled away from the body of the section. The rst strand or few strands of weft would separate quite easily. When, however, the warp has been exposed even a comparatively short distance, owing to the interwoven connection between the warp and weft, the weft strands would be separated with increasing difficulty. If an attempt were made to forcibly pull these interior weft threads or strands from, let us say, one end thereof, which would be the most convenient starting point, they would be apt to break.

If it be attempted to pick a group of weft strands simultaneously along the length Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 9, 1912.

Patented J une 16, 1914.

serial No. 670,152.

thereof, considerable power would be required, and work expended. Further, the weft threads would besubjected to a relatively high tension, especially after a fair portion of the warp had been exposed by previous raveling, the warp will tangle baldly, and breakage is almost certain to resu t.

I have found that if a weft strand, and preferably but a single one of such strands, be picked or pulled, starting, for example, at one side of a relatively wide strip of fabric, such as carpet, and if thereafter the same weft thread or strand be engaged or picked at a point along its length quite closely adjacent the first, while thereafter a still further, inwardly (or outwardly, as the case may be) positioned point is similarly directly engaged, and such successive engagements be continued in substantially like manner at preferably regularly spaced intervals along the length of the weft, such threads may be stripped from the warp, especially if the picking operation be rapidly conducted, with practically7 a minimum breakage of the weft or warp. In other words, I have found that the best way to ravel the weft is to positively engage a thread successively along spaced points thereof while continuing to exert a pushing or pulling effort upon such points after they have been so engaged until such weft thread,

or a considerable portion thereof, has been freed from the warp. The fabric should hence preferably be picked along lines lmore or less obliquely disposed with respect to the general line of the warp as originally disposed in the fabric. I have also found that it is frequently desirable to provide cuts in the fabric which extend in the direction of the weft so that but few weft threads are severed by such cuts, and to sever the weft into determined lengths, pref erably independently of said cuts. The preferred disposition of these cuts may best be discussed in connection with the drawings. I have exemplified herein mechanical means for eifectuating my-process. It will be understood, however, that I in no way regard the particular mechanism shown as essential to my process, or indeed that any mechanism is absolutely necessary. For this reason only such parts of the said mechanism as are adapted to carry out certain steps of the process have been detailed.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters Adesignate like parts throughout thev several views: Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic section of the said mechanism. Fig. 2 is a detail of a preferred form of picking drum used in said mechanism, the drum being shown in perspective. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a feeding drum or roll. Fig. 4L is a similar view of a pressure drum. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail of a linger bar with guiding or smoothing fingers thereon. Fig. G shows a section of carpet, or the like, with cuts or slits formed therein preparatory to shredding. Fig. 7 is a fragment of fabric with picks in position therein. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail of the air jet devices.

Considering again the subject of slitting lthe fabric in the direction of the weft, the

carpet 1 shown in Fig. 6 is slit or cut in this fashion, as at 2, and it should be noted t-hat each of these slits is relatively short in length, extending over merely a limited number of warp threads or strands. In practice these cuts may each be made about two inches long. They are further staggered with respect to each other so that each is advanced beyond the next adjoining slit about three-eighths or one-half inch, in the direction of the warp. It is preferable also to slightly overlap these cuts, as shown, so as to insure all of the warp being cut.

Since `the fabric is nowhere completely severed across its width, at least not by these slits, it is evident that it may be most conveniently handled during the picking or shredding operation, and it may be here stated that this staggered cutting or slitting of the warp materially facilitates the stripping of the weft by, in the first place, preventing the exposed warp threads from growing to greater than a. predetermined length and by not permitting them to break in an irregular manner here and there across the fabric. As a result the operation in question is rendered smooth and even, while the product is materially improved in Several obvious respects; the warp strands being of substantially uniform length and the weft threads or strands being also in better condition. As a matter of fact, slitting the fabric in this manner so loosens the whole structure that it is most readily disintegrated.

Considering now the mode of eifectuating the process in the mechanism illustrated, a brief detail description of this mechanism will be in order.

A suitable support 3 carries a pressure ioll l mounted on a suitably journaled shaft 5. This roll is preferably circuinferentially grooved as at 6, at intervals along the length thereof for the reception of spring fingers 7. These fingers are secured to a cross-bar 8 attached to the support 3,

drum surface;

and extend through the said grooves and between the roll t and a feed-roll 9. This latter has the surface thereof rougheiied in any suitable manner as by inserting thereinto numerous pins 10, which latter, it will observed, are preferably somewhat rearwardly directed with respect to the direction of rotation of the roll 9; said roll rotating in the direction of the arrow thereupon in Fig. l. The drum or roll 9 is preferably yieldingly mounted upon the shaft 1l. To this end the respective ends of said shaft are each secured in the extremity of the short arm 12 of a bell eank. These cranks are loosely mounted upon a shaft 13, and the longer arms 14- of said cranks may be weighted, as at 15. Shaft 11 carries a sprocket wheel 16 which drives a sprocket 17, mounted on a counter-shaft 1S, these sprockets being connected by a chain 19. Shaft 1S in turn drives the roll or drum 4t through the instrumentality of a crossed belt 20 and pulleys 21 and 22, the latter respectively disposed on the rear extremities of shafts 1S and The fabric to be treated is delivered to the rougliened feed drum S) by means of an apron or conveyer 23 of any suitable description. Shaft 11 also carries a spur gear which is in mesh with a pinion 25 secured to the shaft 13 above referred to, and by means of the construction shown the feed drum may be forced away from the pressure drum, as by reason of the passage of a lieinined edge of carpet, or the like, without interfering with the drive either of the pressure drum or of the sha ft 13. The latter carries a. spur gear 26 which is in engagement with a pinion 27 mounted on a shaft 28, and the gears and pinion 24, 25, 2G and 27 are so proportioned that while the drum 9 may be rotated relatively slowly, a pickerdruin 29 disposed on shaft 28 is driven at considerable velocity.

The' picker-drum has been shown in detail in Fig. 2, and extends across the width of the fabric to be pulled apart. A seiies of picks 30, preferably somewhat bent, as shown, are arranged, preferably helically, around and outwardly projecting from, the said drum being driven in the direction of the arrow thereupon. The points of the picks preferably barely clear the points of the pins 10 in the drum 0, and a pressure piece or plate 31 depends from the support 3 so that the edge 32 of said piece extends down almost. into contact with both the picks and said pins. The edge 32 is preferably verv slightly rounded, as, for example to a 1/32 radius.

The process as eifectuated in this mechanism is substantially as follows: Assuming that carpet is the material to be treated, a strip 1 of the same is fed between the pressure and feed rolls from the coiiveyer 23.

The pressure roll 4 bears relatively lightly against the upper surface of the carpet but with suflicient force to drive it down upon the pins 10 which engage the fabric and thereby positively advance the same. The spring fingers 7, it will be noted, extend almost to the pressure piece 31, and as their lower extremities are curved to substantially fit the feed roll, said fingers hold the carpet well down on the pins 10 after it leaves the pressure roll. The advancing edge of the carpet passes under the inclined and wedging face 33 of the pressure piece and is thereby driven forcibly against the surface of the feed drum. If a portion of the fabric happens to be of greater thickness than usual, the wedging action will force the feed drum rearwardly and downwardly away from the pressure piece, so that no breakage of the mechanism can occur. In such event the fingers 7 continue to hold the carpet quite firmly against the feed drum so that the advance of the material through the machine continues uninterruptedly. The fingers 7 further serve to smooth out the material while it is entering the rolls. Let us assume now that the forward edge of the carpet has just cleared the edge 32 of the pressure piece. Immediately thereafter a pick 30 upon the rapidly rotating picker-drum is driven into the fabric and sharply pulls the strand of the weft with which it is in engagement forcibly upward and substantially at right angles to the line of travel of the fabric at such point. This action tends to strip the strands away from the warp and hurl them by centrifugal force away from the picker drum. Excessive speed o-f this drinn would of course cause the threads to be broken or chopped into short lengths, so that the speed thereof while rapid must be proportioned to the strength of the strands of the weft. Ordinarily the speed ofthe pickerdrum is so proportioned to the speed of the feed drum that one pick 30 will directly engage strand A, as shown in Fig. 7, while the next will engage said strand immediately thereafter and at a point quite closely adjacent to the point first engaged. Now while the first strand may be quite readily pulled away from the warp, it is evident that the longer the exposed strands C of the warp, the more difcult will it become to strip the weft therefrom. There is hence also an increasing tendency to disrupt the weft strands. This tendency is greatly increased if the pick engages strand B, back of strand A, and forces the latter from the warp by pressing strand B thereagainst. The weft strand A at the point when the pick 30 engages said strand, presses the adjacent warp threads, one in one direction and the other in the opposite direction, whereas strand B at a point immediately back of the point picked by 30 presses the warp threads in reverse direction. It is obvious therefore that the bights so formed in the warp resist the disengagement of the plurality of weft threads therefrom by a single pick pushing or pulling against one thread directly and against the one in advance indirectly. In other words, in order to efficiently ravel the fabric preferably but a single strand at a time should be picked therefrom, or at any rate one part of the strand should be spaced from the corresponding portion of the next rearwardly disposed weft strand before the latter portion is materially disturbed. The picks have accordingly been disposed helically around the drum, so that as shownl in F ig. 7, one pick 30 will engage a weft strand, then the next pick 30 engages the same strand at a point which it will be observed has already been somewhat displaced by the action of the first pick, and so on. The weft threads therefore are removed from the warp by having successive portions thereof bent around into a line which diverges from the normal line of the weft and the weft is smoothly removed from the warp without undue strains in either warp or weft.

The cuts 2 in the fabric aid the operation and as soon as a warp strand has grown to a determined length, it simply drops or is pulled away from the fabric. In order to prevent the weft from being unraveled into too great, or into irregular lengths, the fabric is slit or severed, preferably in the direction o-f the warp. This may be done at any time prior or up to the time that the weft is stripped. In the mechanism herein described by means of which my process may be carried out, this severance of the weft strands is accomplished by means of two circular knives 34 which are mounted upon the drum 29 and are preferably made slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the space within which the picks 30 turn. To afford clearance for these knives, the pressure piece 31 may be slotted or recessed as at 35. The knives slit the fabric, which is delivered to the machine approximately warpwise, in the direct-ion of the warp and hence sever but few warp strands. They are preferably so disposed along the length of the drum 29 that, assuming the width of fabric to be substantially that of the length of the drum, they will cut the fabric into three strips, the outer of which will be approximately half the width of the inner strip. This disposition of the knives is desirable owing to the fact that a weft thread A is normally integral with that designated B, so that the portions of the weft threads pulled from the sides of the strip are un folded and then substantially equal in length to the portions lying between the knives 34.

The number of knives used will, of course,

depend upon the lengths of weft ravelings desired, so that the provision of two knives is to be regarded as merely by way of illustration. This severance of the weft threads preferably, but not necessarily, occurs just before the picks engage them. In claiming, therefore, a severance of the weft threads before the removal of the same from the fabric, I do not desire to be regarded as limiting myself to a severance substantially at the moment of picking, nor even t-o a severance immediately before the last mentioned operation.

Considering next another feature which I regard as of great importance in the process, and referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 8 of the drawings, it will be observed that the face of the pressure piece or plate 31 is perforated at a plurality of points 36, and that these perfora-tions are in communication with a series of chiots or conduits 37 which open into a pipe 38. This pipe receives compressed air or other suitable pressure fluid from a suitable source of supply of the same, such as a tank 39, through the instrumentality of a pipe 4-0. Vhile the picking operation is in progress, streams of compressed air or the like are directed outwardly upon the pickers and perform a plurality of functions. In the first place the air jets help` to force the fabric (or the strands thereof) as it emerges from beneath the pressure piece, on to the points of the pickers. This tends to reduce the formation of rags or chunks of undisintegrated fabric, which occurs if the teeth do not engage in the manner above described. In the next place the air jets or blasts, which are preferably somewhat downwardly directed, serve to aid in cleaning away the strands, which might otherwise tend to wrap around the drum, from the mechanism. Most important of all, however, these blasts serve to substantially clean the product from dirt and from what is known to the trade as fly This latter consists of short fragments of liber, the presence of which is highly objectionable in journal box packing and the like. The fly and dirt is blown away from the loosening strands of the fabric and falls or is directed downwardly while the heavier and longer threads or strands are drawn upwardly, at lirst slipping down upon the picks which are in engagement with them until they are vdisposed substantially in a plane with the dot and dash line lll, and thereafter being hurled by centrifugal force upwardly and forwardly away from the deposited fly and dirt. It is to be understood, however, that while I contemplate freeing the strands from the drum and teeth by centrifugal force I do not desire to be limited to this particular means for freeing said strands.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. The process of separating the strands 0f a woven fabric which comprises forming groups of warp strands therein by discontinuously slitting the fabric substantially in the direction of the weft, so that the ends of the warp strands in one group extend beyond the ends of the warp strands of an adjacent group, and thereafter picking the weft strands away from the so severed warp strands.

2. The process of separating the strands of a woven fabric which comprises forming groups of warp strands therein by discontinuously slitting the fabric substantially in the direction of the weft along parallel short lines which are staggered with respect to each other, and thereafter picking the weft strands away from the said groups of warp strands.

3. The process of separating the strands of a woven fabric which comprises slitting the fabric substantially in the direction ot the weft along a plurality of parallel lilies which are discontinuous, to cut substantially all the warp strands of the fabric at some portion of their length, and thereafter stripping the weft away from the so severed warp by picking the weft strands singly and successively away from the warp.

el.. The process of separating the strands of a woven fabric which comprises stripping the weft strands from the warp by pickingr and positively engaging successive spaced apart portions along the length of successive weft strands and driving cach of the so engaged weft strands from its engagement with the warp by bending successive portions of each of said strands around into a line which diverges from the normal line of the weft.

5. The process of separating the strands of a woven fabric containing sets of warp and weft strands which comprises stripping one of said sets of strands from the other set by picking and positively engaging successive portions along the length of each successive strand to be stripped, and driving each of said last mentioned strands from its engagement with the strands of the other set by bending successive portions of each of said strands to be stripped around into a line which diverges from the normal line of such strand when in place in the fabric, while working gradually inwardly toward what had been the center of the fabric, in the direction of the warp.

6. The process of separating the strands of a woven fabric which comprises stripping the weft strands from the waip by picking and positively engaging successive portions, one after another, along the length of each successive weft strand, driving the said portions of each weft strand respectively away from the adjacent and corresponding portions of the weft strand immediately behind, before displacing said corresponding portions from their respective positions in the fabric.

7. The process of separating the strands of a woven fabric which comprises dividing both the weft and warp strands of said fabric into substantially determined lengths and stripping the weft from the warp by sequentially picking and positively engaging each weft strand at successive points therein, and driving each said strand from its engagement with the warp at a plurality of points along the length thereof substantially simultaneously.

8. The process of forming waste for lubricating purposes and the like which comprises gripping a Woven fabric and pulling substantially all of the weft and warp strands thereof apart by stripping one set of said strands from the other by sequentially picking successive spaced portions of the outermost strand of the set to be stripped and thereafter similarly picking substantially successive strands, disposed substantially in parallelism with that first picked, one after another while gradually working inwardly toward what had been the center of the fabric.

9. The process of separating the strands of a woven fabric which comprises stripping one set of said strands from the other by sequentially picking successive spaced portions of the 'outermost strand of the set to be stripped and thereafter similarly picking substantially successive strands, disposed substantially in parallelism with that first picked, one after another while gradually working inwardly toward what had been the center of the fabric.

10. The process of separating the strands of a woven fabric by picks which comprises picking apart the weft and warp of said fabric by positively engaging a strand thereof with a plurality of said picks at spaced points along the length of said strand at successive intervals, effecting a movement of each of said picks in determined parallel planes, and effecting a relative movement between said picks and said fabric approxi* mately parallel to said planes.

11. The process of separating the strands of a woven fabric which comprises effecting a relative movement between said fabric and a determined line and removing strands from said fabric at said line by picking substantially at right angles to said line at successive points, along substantially the entire length of said line at successive intervals.

12. Thel process of separating the strands of a woven fabric which comprises advancing said fabric toward a determined line and there picking away from said fabric strands thereof at successive points along the length of said line at successive intervals, substantially one at a time.

13. The process of separating the strands of a woven fabric which comprises advancing said fabric toward a determined line and there picking away from said fabric weft strands thereof at successive points along the length of said line at successive intervals, beginning at an edge of said fabric and working gradually into engagement with previously unpicked weft strands.

14. The process of separating the strands of a woven fabric which comprises advancing one set of strands thereof substantially endwise toward a determined line and there .picking the strands of said fabric which are disposed substantially at right angles to said first mentioned set, bodily away from said fabric at successive points along the length of said line at successive intervals.

15. A process of separating the weft strands from the warp strands of a fabric which consists in picking the outermost weft strand, pulling said strand from the warp, picking said strand at a point adjacent said first point while continuing the pulling at the first point and repeating the operation for successive portions of said strand and successive strands of the fabric.

16. The process of separating the weft strands from the warp strands of a fabric which consists in picking and positively engaging successive spacedapart portions along the length of successive weft strands at successive intervals, thereby pulling the so engaged weft strand from its engagement with the warp strand by pulling successive portions of each of the strands into a line parallel to the plane of the picking.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

ELBERT R. TILLINGHAST.

Witnesses:

CHAS. P. HIDDEN, WALDO M. CHAPIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner cf Patents, Washington, D. C. 

